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Solar Panels As Building Clothing

Posted by michael on from the well-dressed-skyscraper dept.

Makarand writes "A Canadian company is developing a flexible solar-power generating material that can be draped over any building. This will allow buildings with curves and complex shapes to use solar panels. The new material is made of silicon beads, each acting as a solar cell, placed between two aluminum foils and sealed on the sides with plastic. The manufacturing process for the silicon beads can use waste silicon from the chip-making industry. The material has an overall efficiency of 11 per cent which is comparable to the performance of conventional photovoltaic cells. The material looks like blue denim and architects might love to work with it."

6 of 198 comments (clear)

  1. Homepage by mjgamble · · Score: 5, Informative

    http://www.spheralsolar.com/

    Somewhat old really. July 17th they announced this and their 20 megawatt pilot plant came online October 31st it looks like.

  2. A peak into the private mind of the building by Cappy+Red · · Score: 5, Funny

    The fashionable building, that is.

    "Does this make my delivery bay look fat?"

    *honk*

    --
    This is my sig. It's prescription, I swear. I need it for reading things... on the other side of things
  3. I want a solar sailboat by jakedata · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Make me a sail out of this material and I will cruise when it is windy, sunny or both. Just throw some kevlar into the substrate. Or use carbon fibers instead of aluminum for the interconnect.

  4. Solar panels with style by Mattygfunk1 · · Score: 5, Funny
    Dan Davies, an engineer at Solar Century, a renewable energy company based in London, UK, says that Spheral's new material looks very similar to blue denim.

    I just know my wife is going to want, no _need_, Levi stonewash solar panels with a hipster fit.

    Damn fashion.
    ----------
    Interior decorating your home in style?

  5. Much older by DaChesserCat · · Score: 5, Informative

    This tech is much older. Take a look at this article (note: it's a .pdf file). I first read about this stuff in 1993. Texas Instruments started developing this 1983 (yes, that's two decades ago), finally abandoned it and licensed it to someone else.

    --
    ... by the Dew of Mountains the thoughts acquire speed, the hands acquire shakes, the shakes become a warning
  6. Re:Here is a picture by smiff · · Score: 5, Informative
    of the demo House

    And here is a picture of the material in production

    Score:4, Informative???? The first link points to siding which has nothing to do with solar power, or Spheral Solar Power, Inc.. The second link points to a picture of a denim apparel factory in China.

    If you want to learn more about the product, go to the company's web site.